“That is all right,” exclaimed Reff Ritter, as he bit into a turkey sandwich. “Say, wouldn’t it make Jack Ruddy and his crowd feel sore to know about these good things we are having!”
“Say, this sandwich is pretty warm,” came from Paxton. “Phew! but it’s hot!”
“Why, it’s cold, Nick,” answered the bully of the Hall.
“What’s the matter with it?” asked Coulter.
“I’ve bitten on something hard. Guess it was a stone.”
“Creation, what’s this?” came from Ritter. “Say, Dan, this smells like vinegar.”
Another boy was drinking some cider. He made a wry face and ejected the liquid from his mouth.
“Let me see!” cried Dan Baxter, and caught up a glassful. He took one swallow and began to breathe heavily.
“It’s—it’s—pep—peppery!” he gasped. “Oh, my insides are burning up! Somebody give me some water.”
“Whow! The cake is peppery, too!” came from another.
“This piece of celery has got lard all over it!”
“This is the worst sandwich I ever tried to eat!”
“Say, fellows, somebody has played a trick on us!”
“Don’t eat any more of the stuff. It may be poisoned!”
“Oh, don’t say that!” groaned Mumps, turning pale. “I—I don’t want to be poisoned!”
“Who—who touched this stuff?” gasped Dan Baxter. He was so angry he could hardly speak.
“If I ever find out who did it, I’ll—I’ll skin ’em alive, that’s what I’ll do!”
“One thing is certain,” said Reff Ritter, in deep disgust. “All of the stuff was fixed up, and there will be no feast to-night, that is sure. I wouldn’t touch another mouthful for a thousand dollars.”
“I am going to find out who did this,” said Baxter, starting up. “And I am going to find out to-night!”
“It’s time for us to get out!” whispered Jack to his chums. “Baxter is going on a rampage!”
“To our dormitory!” whispered Andy, and led the way on tiptoes. The others followed, and in less than a minute they were safe in their room with the door tightly closed.
“Perhaps we had better get into bed for the present,” suggested Stuffer Singleton. “Baxter may come this way.”
This was considered good advice, and it did not take them long to put out the light that had been lit and get into bed. With ears on the alert they awaited developments.
They were not long in coming. Footsteps sounded in the hallway, and then they heard some whispered conversation in front of their door. Pepper wanted to laugh outright and had all he could do to hold in.